1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conservation of electrical energy consumption by consumers using retrofitted control devices which rely upon monitoring of magnetic fluxes at selected locations in the system.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following references are examples of the prior art relating to control of electrical energy consumption:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,218 relates to an electronic control system for controlling the operation of a plurality of electrical devices which are energized from AC power lines which includes a single, central unit connected to the power lines, which further includes a central transceiver means for transmitting an encoded oscillating signal of one frequency onto the power lines, a central encoding means for encoding the oscillating signal with an encoded signal in synchronization with the frequency of the AC power for selective control of electrical devices, and a central control means connected to the encoding means for selecting the electrical device to be controlled and its desired state. The invention further includes unitary switch units respectively interconnected between power lines and each electrical device being operative for both local and centralized control of the electrical device with the local control and the centralized control placing the electrical device in respective opposite states from each other, each switch unit including a switch transceiver means for receiving the encoded oscillating signal from the power lines, a switch decoding means coupled to the switch transceiver means for detecting the encoded signal, a switch control means connected to the switch decoding means for setting the selected electrical devices to the desired state, and a local control means for selectively locally operating the electrical device independently of the central unit and placing the electrical device in a state opposite from that which it was placed by the central unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,741 relates to an arrangement for obtaining flux rate information in a magnetic circuit including passive means connected across a flux rate sensor for implementing control of said flux rate. The passive means being a tuned magnetic flux rate feedback sensing and control arrangement wherein impedance is tuned and the energy loss characteristic is adjustable. The selection of inductance and capacitance values provides tuning and the selection of resistance affects the energy loss characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,710 is directed to an energy supply system for supplying, in system interconnection, power received at a power receiving equipment from a power plant and power generated by a fuel cell to a power consuming installation, and supplying heat generated by the fuel cell to a heat consuming installation. This system includes an operation amount computing device for computing an amount of operation of the fuel cell to minimize an equation y=a.times.L+b.times.M+c.times.N, in response to an energy demand of the power consuming installation and heat consuming installation. A control device controls the fuel cell to satisfy the amount of the operation computed. The system supplies energy in optimal conditions with respect to the cost borne by an energy consumer, consumption of primary energy, and release of environmental pollutants. Energy is effectively used from the standpoint of the energy consumer and a national point of view.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,513 relates to an information handling system which is described as having a power supply and having a switching circuit that switches a plurality of energy sources between series and parallel couplings. Associated with the switching circuit is a voltage level detecting circuit for monitoring the voltage level of the energy sources. A processor for controlling the information handling system responds to the voltage level detecting circuit and in the event of a low voltage condition, the processor activates the switching circuit to switch the energy sources and from a series to a parallel coupling. Alternatively, processor responds to other inputs or conditions for actuating switching circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,459 is directed to an algorithm for implementation in a meter register and a reading device. In the one embodiment, the invention enables selecting a display table to be read from the register, updating the billing read date and time in the register, reversing the order in which load profile data is transmitted from the register to the reader, specifying the number of load profile intervals to be read from the register, and specifying the number intervals to skip when reading from the register.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,225 relates to an apparatus and method for controlling energy supplied to a space conditioning load and for overriding a load control operation in response to measuring certain space temperatures within a closed environment. The load control apparatus includes a control device connected to an electrical distribution network and to a space/conditioning load and a temperature sensing device connected to the control device. The control device conducts a load shedding operation to control distribution of electrical energy to the space conditioning load in response to command signals supplied by a remote command center. The temperature sensing device operates to override the load shedding operation by outputting a control override signal to the control device in response to sensing certain space temperatures within the closed environment. If the temperature control device is connected to an air conditioning system, the temperature sensing device causes the control device to terminate the load shedding operation prior to expiration of a selected time period in response to measuring a space temperature that exceeds a maximum space temperature limit. In contrast, if the temperature control device is connected to a forced air heating system, the temperature sensing device causes the control device to terminate the load shedding operation when a measured space temperature drops below a minimum space temperature limit. The maximum space temperature limit is greater than the control temperature setpoint of a thermostat that controls the space conditioning operations, whereas the minimum space temperature limit is less than the control temperature setpoint.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,672 relates to a communication system, where a communication unit may conserve source energy when it is inactive in the following manner. The control channel is partitioned into a predetermined number of windows and a system window which are transmitted on the control channel in a round robin manner. When the communication unit registers with the communication system, it is assigned to a window group. The communication unit then monitors only the system window to determine whether the window group that its been assigned to is also assigned to one of the predetermined number of windows. When the window that has been assigned to the window group is being transmitted to the control channel, the communication unit activates to monitor that window. Once the window is no longer being transmitted, the communication unit deactivates until the system window is being transmitted or the window assigned to the window group is being transmitted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,129 relates to an electronic device for multiplexing several loads to the terminals of a source of alternating electrical energy. The source of alternating electrical energy is coupled by electromagnetic flux to the loads by using primary excitation windings and connect to the terminals of the source of alternating electrical energy and secondary windings respectively corresponding to the number of loads. The secondary windings are at least partially coupled to the primary winding and are each connected to the terminals of a load. The coupling is inhibited by auxiliary winding which are each totally coupled with the secondary winding. The inhibition function is controlled in order to inhibit all the magnetic couplings except for one and this particular one changes as a function of the respective load to be coupled to the source of alternating electrical energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,831 relates to a system for testing electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices includes means for sensing the current from the storage device and varying the load across the storage device in response to the current sensed. The system is equally adaptable to batteries and fuel cells. Means is also provided to sense system parameters from a plurality of locations within the system. Certain parameters are then stored in digital form for archive purposes and certain other parameters are used to develop control signals in a host processor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,188 is directed to a programmable identification apparatus, and associated method, includes a transceiver and a transponder. The transponder is powered by the energy of a transceiver transmit signal generated by the transceiver and includes a programmable memory element. A coded sequence which uniquely identifies the transponder is stored in the programmable memory element and, when the transponder is powered, the transponder generates a transponder signal which includes the coded sequence stored in the programmable memory element, once modulated by circuitry of the transponder. When the transceiver transmit signal generated by the transceiver circuitry is of certain signal characteristics, the coded sequence stored in the programmable element is erased, and a substitute coded sequence, which also forms a portion of the transceiver transmit signal, is stored in the programmable memory element. Storage of the coded sequence in the programmable memory element is, hence, effectuated merely by application of a transceiver transmit signal of certain characteristics to the transponder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,123 measures the total line current in a power cord which is used to energize both a power factor corrected system and non-power factor corrected AC loads. The power factor control loop of the power factor corrected system is then driven to correct the power factor of total line current in the power cord ideally to approach unity.
Notwithstanding the above prior art, there are no teachings or suggestions that would render the present invention anticipated or obvious.